The Figure of Percy Shelley in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The Figure of Percy Shelley in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Shelleyan Monsters: The Figure of Percy Shelley in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Peter Ackroyd’s The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein. Wihan van Wyk This dissertation is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in the Department of English at the University of the Western Cape Supervisor: Dr A. Birch November 2015 1 Keywords • Enlightenment • Romanticism • Prometheus Unbound • Peter Ackroyd • The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein • Percy Shelley • Mary Shelley • Frankenstein • Doubling • Biography 2 Abstract This thesis will examine the representation of the figure of Percy Shelley in the text of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). My hypothesis is that Percy Shelley represents to Mary Shelley a figure who embodies the contrasting and more startling aspects of both the Romantic Movement and the Enlightenment era. This I will demonstrate through a close examination of the text of Frankenstein and through an exploration of the figure of Percy Shelley as he is represented in the novel. The representation of Shelley is most marked in the figures of Victor and the Creature, but is not exclusively confined to them. The thesis will attempt to show that Victor and the Creature can be read as figures for the Enlightenment and the Romantic movements respectively. As several critics have noted, these fictional protagonists also represent the divergent elements of Percy Shelley’s own divided personality, as he was both a dedicated man of science and a radical Romantic poet. He is a figure who exemplifies the contrasting notions of the archetypal Enlightenment man, while simultaneously embodying the Romantic resistance to some aspects of that zeitgeist. Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in the novel by contemporary authors, biographers and playwrights, who have responded to it in a range of literary forms. I will pay particular attention to Peter Ackroyd’s, The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein (2011), which shows that the questions Frankenstein poses to the reader are still with us today. I suggest that this is one of the main impulses behind this recent resurgence of interest in Mary Shelley’s novel. In particular, my thesis will explore the idea that the question of knowledge itself, and the scientific and moral limits which may apply to it, has a renewed urgency in early 21st century literature. In Frankenstein this is a central theme and is related to the figure of the “modern Prometheus”, which was the subtitle of Frankenstein, and which points to the ambitious figure who wishes to advance his own knowledge at all costs. I will consider this point by exploring the ways in which the tensions embodied by Percy Shelley and raised by the original novel are addressed in these contemporary texts. The renewed interest in these questions suggests that they remain pressing in our time, and continue to haunt us in our current society, not unlike the Creature in the novel. 3 Declaration I declare that “SHELLEYAN MONSTERS: THE FIGURE OF PERCY SHELLEY IN MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN AND PETER ACKROYD’S THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN” is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination in any other university, and that all the sources I have utilized or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references. WIHAN VAN WYK November 2015 Signed: ______________________ Date: ____________________ 4 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been written without the tireless support and guidance of my supervisor, Dr. Alannah Birch. Her enthusiasm, direction and willingness to help were truly invaluable. I would also like to thank Stephanie Brandt, for putting aside hours of editing time to correct the mistakes of a tired mind. Lastly, I extend a thank you to all the staff of the English Department who are always ready to extend a helping hand. 5 Dedication To my parents, Abrie and Zelma van Wyk, whose endless support not only helped me through university, but got me there in the first place. To Zinta, my sister, for being willing to sit and read out obnoxiously long quotes, and always being there to cheer me up. To Stephanie Brandt, for lighting my way when times were dark. This is for you. 6 Contents Keywords 2 Abstract 3 Declaration 4 Acknowledgements 5 Dedication 6 Introduction 8 Chapter 1: The Figure of Percy Shelley 29 Chapter 2: Percy Shelley and Frankenstein 62 Chapter 3: Peter Ackroyd and the Contemporary Manifestation of Shelley 91 Conclusion 124 Bibliography 128 7 Introduction This thesis will explore the figure of Percy Shelley as manifested in the novel Frankenstein, and in certain contemporary literary texts. Romantic literature and Enlightenment ideas have long been considered stark opposites by students of the Romantic period, but more recent research shows that they are much more complementary than was previously thought. The traditional picture is painted of Romantic literature and art in opposition to Enlightenment ideals, and often as constituting a direct attack on these ideas. Examples of this are to be found everywhere: Thomas De Quincey’s anti-rationalism, William Blake’s attacks on the ideas of 18th century art and philosophy and Wordsworth’s challenge to 18th century poetry and diction are just a few examples (Brown 35). From these, and many other examples, Romantic literature and Enlightenment thought have thus been polarised to such an extent that it has become difficult to analyse these subjects objectively and it is easy to present them as mutually opposed. A closer look will demonstrate that these two seemingly opposed sets of ideas are in fact much closer and are, in many respects, even complementary. This thesis will demonstrate this by examining the Romantic period and looking in particular at the important figure of Percy Shelley. In this thesis, I will argue that through the figure of Shelley the link between the apparently contradictory ideas of these literary periods can be traced. I will show that Shelley, while being one of the most iconic Romantic poets, is also a great enthusiast of science and philosophy, which are the cornerstones of the Enlightenment era. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I would argue, is extremely important in this regard. I will endeavour to demonstrate that her embodiment of Shelley within a number of the novel’s characters, but most prominently in both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, is integral to the above- mentioned dichotomy. The portrayal of Shelley in Frankenstein exemplifies this seemingly paradoxical mix of Romantic and Enlightenment concepts within a single figure. 8 Frankenstein was published in 1818, which falls within an important and interesting historical period. It was written during the time where Enlightenment ideals were the zeitgeist of the day, but this was far from being the only ideology present. The influence of Romanticism was spreading rapidly throughout Britain, and with this came a growing distrust of the ideals of the Enlightenment. This was a period of rapid change and development. As Curran notes: “The forty years in Great Britain from 1785 to 1825, the period generally construed as the age of Romanticism, saw a crucial transition between an Enlightenment world view and the values of modern, industrial society” (Curran xi). During this period, the social upheavals related to both the American and French Revolutions were threatening to transform society. In Britain, the rule of King George the Third also evoked similar protests from the British public; however his government’s reactions to these were swift and brutal. Frankenstein appeared in the aftermath of these events, and was thus heavily influenced by them. It can be argued that the French Revolution was the most significant historical event relevant to the writing of the novel: it was originally a noble undertaking that quickly became a travesty of its original ideals. It was inspired by ideals such as liberty, freedom, human rights, and other progressive sentiments characteristic of the Enlightenment; their realisation would finally have meant the end of centuries of monarchy and theocracy. After its initial success, the revolution quickly soured as the monarchy and the church lost power. This was followed by a period of anarchy as the Jacobins rose to power, and quickly installed a new tyranny, followed by ‘the reign of terror’ in which thousands were executed by guillotine. This was followed by a succession of dictatorships that started with the Jacobins and ended with Napoleon. As a result, many of the early Romantics had to rethink their initial ideas and assumptions. Many Romantic thinkers, and especially those found among the first generation of British Romantics, were initially attracted to the original ideals of the revolution; most early Romantic writers and artists were great supporters of the revolution before it turned on itself. As a novel that emerged in the aftermath of these upheavals, Frankenstein is very much a product of its age, and the influences of both Romanticism as a movement, and the Enlightenment age, are an undeniable presence throughout the novel. The Enlightenment has been credited with making many contributions to modern society. Some of these include advancing the sciences, promoting human rights, and greatly lifting the hold of religious and monarchical tyranny. At the same time, it has also been accused of perpetrating many evils, both during its time, and especially in 20th century critiques: 9 [The Enlightenment] has been held responsible for the French Revolution, for totalitarianism, and for the view that nature is simply an object to be dominated, manipulated, and exploited. It has been implicated in one way or another in European imperialism and the most aggressive aspects of capitalism… It is said that its passion for rights and liberties have unleashed a destructive individualism that undermines any sense of community, yet it has also been argued that its assumption that human nature is infinitely malleable has provided intellectual inspiration for attempts by totalitarian states to eradicate all forms of individuality from their subjects.
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